


Whatever It Takes

by EnforcerAJ



Category: Kingdom Hearts, Verum Rex - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24149530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnforcerAJ/pseuds/EnforcerAJ
Summary: Magia has grown tired of living in Yozora's shadow. Upon realizing that even his Uncle sees him as nothing more than a pawn better off dying in battle the redhead finds new allies and slowly begins a plot of revenge...





	Whatever It Takes

"Your Highness, please wait!"

The red-headed Prince paid no attention to the guards that tried to stop him, his boots firmly pattering on the marble floors in the hall, head held high as he then forced his way into the King's study.

"Where is my father?!"

At this moment in time, Prince Magia was very much a child, still a few years away from hitting puberty, but his stride and tone were as firm as could be as he stared up at his Uncle who merely stood in silence, not daring to make eye contact against his young nephew. The deadly silence from his Uncle all but confirmed what the Prince had feared. At once the child erupted in tears, though his wrinkly gray-haired Uncle was quick enough to pull him into a gentle hug, holding Magia until he calmed himself.

"You'll be under my care now Magia...Your father fought bravely for the Kingdom."

* * *

The next few years passed by in a blur for young Magia; the war between the Kingdom of Morari and the Kingdom of Vincere continued, with the casualties piling up on both sides, nothing else changing. At first young Magia thought nothing of the changes that life had in store for him.

For the most part, he spent his days either studying with his silver haired cousin, Yozora, or training on the ways of the sword, both with his tutors. He had fun helping Yozora rebel a little, and showing off a few basic spells he had been taught as Yozora wasn't born with the gift of magic.

It was only as they both grew closer to adulthood that Magia started to suspect that at the very least his Uncle was playing favorites, as his training sessions started to grow far more intense than Yozora's, and while Magia was given a fair amount of freedom outside the palace, it was harshly insisted that he be by Yozora's side when he was out and about.

"You don't think Uncle is grooming me for war once I'm of age, do you, dear cousin?" He finally got the nerve to ask one day during their strolls downtown, electricity ever so slightly sparking at his fingertips as he gently traced along each lamp post they strolled by, infusing them with enough power to light up for a few moments.

"That's crazy talk, Mag. This stupid war with Vincere may be dragging out, but you're an Heir to the throne. After losing his brother, my father wouldn't dare...More importantly, should you be doing that?"

Huffing in response he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was some greater plan at work here just with how different they were being treated, Magia then ceased his spell casting as he slid his hands into his pockets instead.

"I know full well that Mages have shorter life spans as the price for their magic, but as long as I don't push myself too hard I should still make it to at _least_ fifty. Even those that work to power the city live that long."

The siren that suddenly rang out through the city, making the civilians pause for a brief moment before running for shelter, while both Princes cursed under their breath and looked to the clear sky above them.

"An attack in broad daylight?!" Yozora spoke in pure disbelief, readying his sword and crossbow in a flash of red sparks while Magia simply gathered his magical energy at the ready, though would draw his twin rapiers at a moment's notice.

"They've never attacked during the day. Something's not right..."

"Magia look out!"

Feeling his cousin protectively shove him out of the way, the world went black, only for him to confusingly wake up in the infirmary sometime later with his Uncle looming over him in disappointment. Before the redhead could utter even a word to ask about the attack and if Yozora was alright, he was roughly lifted by the front of his shirt and slapped across his face.

"You were supposed to **_protect_** my son."

"Well, I'm sorry if I lost focus _Uncle,_ but everything happened so fast." He found himself snapping back, shrugging out of the elder's grip as he got to his feet and gently rubbing his cheek, glad that he seemed to be only scraped and bruised for the most part.

"Is Yozora alright? What about the city and civilians?"

At first, the King only grunted as he turned away from the Prince, seemingly too bothered to look him in the eye now.

"The toll for casualties and injured are currently being tallied. Yozora escaped with only a broken arm and is currently being monitored for signs of a concussion. While I expect he is to make a full recovery with time, I cannot excuse your incompetence that led to his injuries."

"Oh? So I'm his _bodyguard_ now? Last I checked we were equals, or am I just your little _spare_?"

At that the old King scoffed, once again turning towards Magia and looking down on him shamefully before striking him once more for daring to speak so rudely.

"You are worthless to me, Magia, and will have no right to claim the throne for as long as I live. To think of yourself as useful as a _spare_ for the throne…it’s simply _insulting._ "

Clenching his fists, the Prince had to breathe deeply and reel in his emotions in order to remind himself that lashing out against his Uncle was not the answer, with _or_ without magic, even if this did confirm the hunch he had felt for quite some time.

"This is about my mother, isn't it? All because she was common blood?"

He had heard the whispers of the palace staff growing up, and was able to piece that much information together. When he dared to curiously ask his father about his mother at a young age he was only given so much information at the time, only mentioning that he was a love child and they had gone their separate ways sometime after he had been born.

Here and now he had expected for his Uncle to reveal the whole story, to go spouting off _terrible_ things about his mother and how shameful his birth was to the royal family reputation. Instead, the King only smirked and laughed, catching him completely off guard as his anger dispelled in confusion.

"Your parents were both _fools_. Thought they could artificially create a mage without the strain on the life span. I do not care if their little experiment was successful or not, nor do I care how powerful you may become with your father's mage blood coursing through your veins. Your _birth_ is disgraceful so your life is better served to protect the Crown Prince."

"Y-You're lying."

Magia knew such technology existed for those that couldn't carry biological children on their own, but to think that his parents used such technology just to try and manipulate his genes as a mage?

"My father would never lie to me!"

Tears stung the Prince's eyes as his Uncle only huffed and left him be. Storming out of the room in tears before the nurse could attempt to check on him, Magia ran to his old father's study at once, gasping and coughing the moment he entered, as it had remained untouched in the past five years.

Wiping his tears away he took a moment to try and compose himself before delicately going through each draw in his desk, searching for anything that would tell him that his Uncle had been lying to him. However, the redhead came up empty-handed even after he went through the rest of the room. Making sure he put everything back as he found it to continue to preserve the room, Magia quietly realized he had no choice but to accept what his Uncle told him until he had proof otherwise.

Deciding to attempt to clear his head with some fresh air he went back to his room just long enough to change into his comfy gray jeans and grab his leather jacket before heading back into town, deciding to see the damage of the attack for himself.

Wincing at the sight of several buildings reduced to little more than rubble, while others looked like they might recover with a handful of repairs he mainly noticed that the power had taken a massive hit as well and had yet to be restored. Knowing that most of the Mages that were still in the city rather than out on the front lines were likely far too occupied in dealing with the wounded, Magia decided to take this problem into his own hands.

Being mindful of any fallen cables dangling on the ground he approached a flickering light post, then closed his eyes upon touching it. Able to sense both where the power grid was currently broken and any damaged cables that would surely become a hassle if they experienced a surge of power again, he was able to guide enough of his power to the sector for at least a day, though since this was his first time using so much energy at once he felt quite dizzy and drained once he opened his eyes and let go, groaning and stumbling to keep his balance for a moment.

"It's his Highness!"

"His Highness is here to help us!"

A small handful of civilians seemed to have noticed his efforts, making him laugh nervously and offer a smile before he nodded firmly.

"Yeah...I'll help out where ever you need me."

This war was only going to get worse the longer it went on, and drag more innocent people into it. Magia had no idea what his Uncle was doing to try to end it, but he swore he was going to do _whatever_ it took to end it sooner than later...

* * *

Leaving the city was already a dangerous idea as is, but intentionally leaving to find the nearest Vincere military encampment was equally dangerous and stupid. Magia knew there was a large chance that his plan would end up just getting himself killed, yet found himself doubting few would miss him even if he met such an end. Deciding not to leave a note, even if at best he was just going to "vanish" for a few days, he put on his best pair of combat boots and most reliable pair of jeans with a black jacket. His weapons were left behind as he planned to rely on his magic alone should he get into conflict, though he was at least smart enough to pack a first aid kit as well as some food before heading out.

Thankfully no one seemed to question him as he casually walked about the town, quietly making his way to the main road outside the capitol and merely waving and smiling to those that did briefly greet him. Never having _been_ outside the city before, Magia didn't quite know what to expect and winced when it was clear not only the main roads were damaged, but the environment was suffering the most for such a harsh war with nothing _green_ in sight.

 _This needs to end..._ He silently reminded himself, taking out a map that he had swiped from his Uncle's study the night before that showed where both the Morari military encampments were, and the known ones from Vincere as well.

Once he confirmed he was heading in the correct direction and without a doubt could see the mechanical weapons of destruction in the distance, the Prince took a deep breath and cast a small fire spell to burn his little map before he dared to peacefully approach, knowing full well that there was a good chance of him being shot on sight before he could dare to speak his peace.

"Halt!"

As expected he was spotted within moments, a warning shot fired quickly after. While it was enough to make him flinch, he slowly put his hands behind his head and let the soldiers surround him while closely pointing their guns at him.

"I am Prince Magia of Morari. I'm here to negotiate on behalf of my Kingdom, thus I ask that you take me to the King of Vincere."

There were quickly murmurs around him before their commander stepped forward in a crisp black uniform and several medals on his chest, appearing to look down on the young Prince in disgust.

"Take him as a Prisoner."

With a sharp blow to the back of his head, Magia groaned as the world faded around him, knowing that when he awoke it likely wasn't going to be a pleasant sight.

* * *

It was the smells that make him wake more than anything else, nearly gagging at the obvious scents of environmental pollution that were surely doing nothing but harm. It seemed without magic Vincere hadn't even tried any clean alternatives to power, making the Prince wonder if he even _wanted_ to open his eyes. Upon doing so he found that they had tightly placed a thick woven bag over his head making it impossible to see anything at all, and his hands were tightly bound in front of him in handcuffs. Thrown forward by his unknown transport coming to a sudden halt, the redhead let out a curse, not surprised when the door swung open and he was blindly dragged out.

"Don't think of trying anything, little Prince. Those handcuffs are specially made to nullify Mages’ magic."

Not having dared to try it until now, Magia then attempted to cast a small ice spell with the intentions of freezing and breaking them, though nothing happened to lead him to believe that they were indeed telling the truth. With a guard roughly on each arm, he only huffed as he was forced along, not daring to ask questions but could hear the sounds of the street fade and large doors slamming behind them. Footsteps echoed on clean stone floors for several moments through some turns, until finally, he forced on his knees and the sack was taken off him.

Before him was the grand throne of Vincere, with their aging, wrinkly King proudly seated on it with his narrow, judgmental gaze. He didn't dare rise to come forward and inspect Magia, though the Prince expected things would immediately get violent if he did.

"So, the young mage Prince that is not even of age turns himself in for such _improper_ negotiations? Surely the Kingdom of Morari is not populated with such _fools_."

Taking a deep breath, Magia knew he had to keep his emotions in check and choose his words carefully through this half-baked plan of his that was already threatening to completely fall apart.

"I took a risk in coming before you, Your Majesty, because this war is making my citizens suffer day after day and I want it to end. I understand you do not like our Kingdom because of our way of life with magic but surely—“

"Silence!"

The King’s booming voice was enough to make him flinch, though the Prince did as he was told for the time being and bit his tongue, awaiting what the royal had to say.

"I started this war decades ago because the Mages of Morari must be exterminated at all costs! Your Kingdom claims to be peaceful, yet year after year your mage population grows, and with it, its power. Such things must be eliminated for the sake of the world."

It was clear that it was such a firm belief that the old King was not going to shake from any time soon, especially considering it looked like his days were already numbered. Such a realization and _horrible_ ideals were enough to shake him for a moment but felt the need to at least _try_ and steer him away from such violence.

"A shortened life span is exactly the price we Mages pay for our powers. I assure you, Your Majesty, that on behalf of the entire Kingdom none of us have such power-hungry desires."

The King only laughed at his comment now, making Magia blink in confusion before wincing at the sudden coughing fit that followed. Had the circumstances been different he would have offered to try and heal him a bit, ease his pain if nothing else.

"And do you know what happens if a mage suddenly loses control of their powers, foolish Prince? Five years ago we welcomed another member of your royal family into our city for such wishful negotiations about ending the war, but before he could reach the Palace he suddenly lost all control and caused an explosion, taking dozens of innocent lives of _my_ people with him. It can surely happen to any mage, _boy._ "

Such things weren't unheard of to Magia; though he knew such occurrences were one in a million, if not more. What made the Prince gasp though was the time frame of such an incident, as it lined up when his father had perished... Had his Uncle lied about the circumstances of his death? Tears stung his eyes, making the King before him rudely scoff before lazily waving him away.

"Take him down below. We'll dispose of you tomorrow, _Prince_ Magia."

Far too emotionally defeated to put up a fight, Magia was roughly dragged back to his feet and down several hallways and stairs into the dark and musty dungeons below. Allowing himself to be tossed into a cell with the door slammed behind him, he only sighed once he was alone and curled up in the corner planning to resign to his fate.

It was the middle of the night when he glanced up upon hearing the door suddenly open, having dozed off for a while and was most certainly confused to why he saw a young man with long platinum blonde hair in a tight ponytail wearing clothes that were far too nice to be a guard's.

"It's too early for my execution, so who might you be?" Magia asked, far more curious than cautious.

"Someone that does not wish to see an innocent Prince die." The stranger answered, stepping forward and undoing the lock to his handcuffs before offering a hand, though Magia only squinted in suspicion as he rubbed his sore wrists, making the blonde sigh.

"I am Prince Kalem, the King's grandson."

"Oh, so I should have _plenty_ of reasons to trust you." Magia scoffed, getting to his feet on his own and taking a step back, eyeing the open door as he considered just making a run for it on his own.

Kalem merely huffed in response, still holding out his hand as a small flame manifested in his palm for a few moments while Magia' eyes widened in surprise.

"How the _fuck_ does Vincere have a mage in their royal bloodline when your cranky old grandpa is so obviously against them?" Such confusion came in a loud whisper, having a hunch this was a secret that was being kept under wraps, possibly from the King himself.

"My mother was a mage that came here from Morari long before I was born and this war started. She asked me to keep it a secret before she passed..."

His hunch had been right after all, and while Kalem had his reasons for helping him here and now, Magia still wasn't about to trust him just yet.

"And what's your end game here, Kalem? You escape with me and seek refuge in Morari? Is that it?'

The blonde quickly shook his head, reaching out and gently taking the red head's hands and giving them a gentle assuring squeeze.

"I want you to return to your Kingdom in one piece and keep doing your part to end this war on your end. My grandfather only has a year or two left in him at best, and by then I'll be of age to take the throne. I firmly believe I can make Vincere a better place, end the war and even extend aid for all the damage that has been done to Morari."

"That sounds all fine and dandy but my Uncle doesn't seem to _care_ all that much about ending this war." Magia grumbled in response, gently pulling out of the other Prince's grip. "He may not look down on Mages _nearly_ as much like your grandfather, but I still get the feeling he looks down on them."

"So then take him out."

"...What?"

It was such a blunt statement that Magia swore he was hearing the other wrong. To kill his flesh and blood just to take the throne and end the war was not how he wanted this to go. Sure the recent blood boiling grudge against him was one thing, but to act against him so violently? Not to mention that Yozora was next in line, and shared far too much of a brotherly bond with him...

"You seem like the _exact_ person that will do whatever it takes to end this war, Magia."

"I'll...think about it..." Was all he could mutter, finding himself being gently dragged out of the dungeon by his hand a moment later, and lead down a few dark and twisted hallways before Kalem stopped at a large sewer grate which made Magia wrinkle his nose in disgust at the smell alone.

"Cliché much?"

"It's much easier than trying to get you past every guard in the castle and then let you get through the city on your own too without being spotted. Besides I need to get back to your cell and make it look like you just totally lost control."

Grumbling under his breath as he removed the grate without argument since Kalem had made his point, he was already looking forward to getting home and scrubbing himself clean more than anything else.

"If we're going to do this then I expect to stay in contact with you, Kalem." He stated with a dramatic bow before descending below, trusting that his new ally _did_ know what he was doing...

* * *

The first thing Magia did when he returned home politely asked the palace staff for a warm meal brought to his room, then gladly tore off his disgusting clothes to be soaked and washed before taking a long, steamy shower. Just glad that he was able to make his way back in one piece, Magia left all other thoughts for later, only wanting to sleep in his nice clean bed. Unfortunately, once he stepped out of the shower and redressed he found his Uncle sternly waiting for him, making him huff as he was mentally prepared for another lecture.

"And just _where_ have you been Magia?"

"Out in the city helping repairs and recovery efforts. Something that _you_ have never bothered yourself with." He lied with ease, folding his arms. "And I will continue to do so until this war is over, but since you're so determined to keep me as Yozora's bodyguard then I will do so in my free time."

The King merely let out a grunt and let him be, making Magia both sigh in relief and slightly proud that he was able to stand up to him without causing an argument.

_Do I really want to take him down?_

It wasn't something he was going to decide lightly. Perhaps it was best that he did mingle among the people for a while, figure out if they had similar thoughts about their King or not, considering they truly had no idea how he ruled.

* * *

"His Majesty taxes us fairly, but I haven't seen him outside the castle since before the war began..."

"He's far from being a tyrant, but he's done nothing to end this war."

"More and more Mages are being put on the front lines and it's causing the city to fall apart. It's only a matter of time before power failures become common!"

As more time past, Magia noticed such whispers upon the people grow more common, as he was gently praised for helping out with labor in any way he could manage. Slowly he gained their trust and planted the idea of a Coup' in their ear all while keeping in contact with Kalem through carrier pigeons.

Soon Magia and Yozora both came of age, and Morari rejoiced as their two Princes grew into adulthood. Knowing that he couldn't have Yozora suspect a thing, he kept up his usual smiles and laughter around his cousin while his trusted allies quietly grew. He still saw Yozora as a brother, and it made his heartache knowing that taking over the Kingdom would break his heart, even if he chose to spare him. Even so, the redhead grew more determined to see his plans through.

Kalem's letters were the one thing he looked forward to most, often getting excited once he saw the bird patiently perched out his window, for while they were most important updates and ideas on their plans, Kalem also asked Magia to write back about his everyday life, to get to know one another. Before he knew it Magia had taken a liking to the other Prince and hoped that after this war was long over their two kingdoms could unite in one form or another for long-lasting peace.

It was shortly after Magia turned twenty when Kalem sent another letter stating that his grandfather was on his death bed, as he had been slowly poisoning his tea just enough to make him ill without raising suspicion. The time to act was near, so Magia sent out a message to his small army of allies and gathered them all at the tavern after hours just to go over the finer details one last time.

"We revolt at dawn. I need as much chaos outside the Palace as possible to draw out the guards away from my Uncle, but I want as few casualties as possible. The best outcome is to overpower them and make them surrender peacefully, but I'm not holding my breath over it."

There were several nods in agreement, making the soon to be King smile that he had gotten dozens to follow without question, that believed he could be a _far_ better ruler even if he was doomed to have a shorter life.

"Long live King Magia!" One cheered, the others following suit before going their separate ways to prepare for the morning.

Magia, of course, did not dare to sleep once he quietly returned to his room, biding his time sharpening and polishing his twin rapiers and giving them a few practice swings all while experimentally infusing them with a bit of magic as well. Before he knew it dawn came, and with his window wide open he smiled as he heard the chaos of the revolt start outside.

Leaving his room with his weapons in hand, the guards paid no attention as they dashed towards the palace's entrance, while other staff merely just ran and hid for safety.

"Protect the King!"

Two guards seemed to be heading his direction, though he couldn't have that. A quick yet powerful ice spell was enough to render them uselessly frozen in place yet relatively unharmed, making him walk by with a smirk.

He wasn't surprised to find him in the throne room with two guards protectively hovering, ushering him to flee to safety. Thankfully Yozora wasn't in sight... Magia didn't want his dearest cousin to see this bloodshed.

"Where is my son?!" The King suddenly barked, though Magia only shrugged, not phased, watching as the old man pushed off the guard's protective grip on his arm and stomped towards him. "Useless nephew! You should have gone straight to find him, now I have to do it myself."

The moment the King walked past him Magia turned his attention on the guards, once again able to catch them completely by surprise and incapacitate them with a lighting spell. With such sparks still surrounding his weapons, he spun around and gladly stabbed his uncle in the back all before he could react.

"You should have respected me, _Uncle_. You should have done all that you could to end the war and help the citizens during their hardships, instead of sitting on your throne making minimal effort. Then _maybe_ I would have considered sparing your life, _dearest_ Uncle. You may have taken care of me all these years but my father loved me! The reason behind my birth no longer matters to me."

Yanking his blade out, Magia watched as the now- _former_ King stumbled and fell, a red stain slowly spreading on his shirt. Feeling little remorse he turned away and stepped towards the throne that he now believed was his, about to take his rightful place before a pair of footsteps and a whimper caught his attention.

"Magia...?"

With a sigh, he turned to face his frightened, teary-eyed cousin that looked at him in pure horror. Yozora seemed to be choking back sobs as he tried to find the words, while Magia only let out a deep breath as he now knew he had a decision to make, swearing that he could see Yozora reaching for his own sword...

 _Whatever it takes_. Magia had to remind himself before tightening his grip on his blades and charging forward.


End file.
